Top HR and Company Culture News – August 6, 2013

We've heard lots of analogies when it comes to company culture, but this one's a first: Chris Crouch recently compared building a company culture to raising a barn. Suggesting that employees at a company work together to make each other better, not just focus on themselves, he wrote, "Rather than giving the struggling person or team a hard time, why not think, “Let’s all schedule a barn-raising event to help these folks out!” In other words, let’s put our heads together and solve this problem for members of our community." We think it's a fitting metaphor for a cohesive, supportive work environment!

Happiness is a topic we bring up often on the Top News blog, and we think for good reason. Thankfully, Kaitlin Louie agrees. In a recent piece, she discussed how happiness in the workplace is enjoyed by few, but achievable by all. Referencing several recent articles and studies on workplace happiness and engagement, Louie's piece details the importance of happiness for a company from top to bottom, including the bottom line. While we obviously haven't achieved universal happiness in the work place, she thinks that "The crucial role that happiness has in the workplace, coupled with the fact that the vast majority of workers in America are unhappy and disengaged, leads to the conclusion that employers and employees must work together to find a solution." We agree that any sustainable solution must come from a dialogue between employees and their employers.

We're always looking for new ideas for creating a positive company culture. Luckily for us, there's no shortage of articles floating around the internet providing these valuable tips. The latest one to catch our eye is by Jane Graybeal. In a recent piece, she provided four tips for us, including organizing a company-wide book club, a committee for employee engagement, encouraging volunteering, and instituting a brand ambassador program. These are really clever ways to help build a workplace culture that is different and engaging. That gets me thinking, what book should be the first one for TINYhr's new book club!?

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